Improvement in cutting apparatus for harvesters



P. GREGG. Improvement in Cutting Ap partus for Harvesters.

Patented April 25, 1871.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

PHINEAS GREGG, OF BROWNSVILLE, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT lN CUTTING APPARATUS FOR HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 114,003, dated April 25, 1871.

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHINEAS GREGG, of Brownsville, in the county of Cass and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gutter-Bars for Harvesters; and I do declare that the following is a true and accurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, and being a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a plan of my improved cutterbar. Fig. 2 is the same, but with the top plate removed; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a section of the endless chain, showing the manner of attaching the knife-sections thereto.

Like letters refer to like parts in each figure.

The nature of this invention relates to the construction of harvester cutter-bars in such. a manner that the knives will have a continuous movement in one direction between their guards; and it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the means employed for tightening the endless chain which carries the cutters.

In the drawing, A represents a cutter-bar of a harvester, and A its top plate or cover.

In a channel extending the full length of the bar are laid two blocks, B 13, the latter being stationary, while the former slides freely in the channel.

The contiguous ends of the blocks are connected by a right-and-left screw, 0, threaded in the nuts to let into the blocks, as shown in Fig. 2.

At one end of the cutter-bar a pulley, D, is journaled in the top and bottom plates, while at the other end a toothed wheel, E, is journaled in a mortise in the block B, which at that point is rabbeted in the top and bottom plates of said cutter-bar, so that by turning the screw G the wheels D and E will approach or rccede from each other, in order to keep a proper tension upon the chain F, which passes around them. The construction of this chain is fully shown in Fig. 3, and in which it will be seen that an ordinary knife-section, G, is attached to every other bar or solid link of the chain, which is moved by the wheel E, which is rotated by any suitable gearing deriving motion from the traction wheels, or either of them.

H are the ordinary slotted guards, projecting from the front edge of the sickle-bar, and in which the knife-sections move.

The advantages which this form of cutterbar has over the old are: first, a great saving in power; second, it does away with the destructive vibration in the moving parts and connections; third, it dispenses with a part of the usual multiplying-gear; and, fourth, the machine provided with such a bar costs less.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the wheels D and E, carrying the chain F, with the blocks B and B, screws 0, and nuts a, when the several parts are constructed, arranged, and operated as described and shown, for the purposes set forth.

PHINEAS GREGG.

Witnesses W. G. STEPEENs, LEVI J. REYNOLDS. 

